Voters 'will not re-elect 37 pc of current MPs'

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By Oscar Obonyo

Only 63 per cent of the current legislators would be re-elected to Parliament in the next General Election, a new survey has revealed.

According to findings of the survey by Infotrak Research and Consulting, MPs from Nyanza, Eastern and Western provinces face the highest risk of being bundled out of Parliament.

The said regions recorded high incidence levels of respondents who indicated they do not intend to re-elect their current Members of Parliament, with Nyanza leading at 77 per cent, Eastern (74 per cent) and Western (67 per cent).

In the study, Central and coastal regions recorded the lowest incidence levels of those who indicated they do not intend to re-elect their current Members of Parliament at 44 per cent and 56 per cent.

Infotrak’s chief executive officer, Angela Ambitho, explains that Nyanza recorded the highest disapproval rating of its MPs because of poor CDF management according to the electorate. Other reasons include their lack of contact with the incumbents. Though similar to previous instances where more than 60 per cent of MPs have been rejected at the General Election, the figures projected by Infotrak should worry the legislators.

Over the years, the number of MPs rejected by voters has increased each election year, with 65 per cent of those in the Ninth Parliament failing to recapture seats in 2007.

This trend notwithstanding, sitting MPs continue to form regional caucuses to influence the direction of electoral campaigns.

Ambitho points out at non-delivery of services and poor management of CDF kitties as the major voter concerns.

The poll, commissioned by The Standard Group Ltd, was conducted between September 23 and September 26, and 1,500 people were interviewed 1,500 in both urban and rural counties.

Reasons for and against re-election of the current MPs are varied and range from poor service delivery, poor leadership qualities and inactivity in Parliament to arrogance of the legislators.

And the disparities are wide. While, for instance, the management of the CDF kitty tops the considerations, at 69 per cent, under which voters in Nairobi will dump their MP, in Central Province the focus is on an objective leader at 77 per cent.

Curiously, though, voters in Central Province are least bothered by the aspect of corrupt and tribalism. In fact, absolutely zero per cent consider tribalism or corruption a factor in knocking out a potential MP. Equally less bothered by this factor are residents of Eastern Province at seven per cent, and Rift Valley at 10 per cent.

However, corruption and tribalism are among the prominent considerations among residents of Coast, North Eastern and Western provinces. Thirty per cent of residents of Coast, North Eastern (20 per cent) and Western (19) will not re-elect their MPs on account of practicing tribalism and tolerating corruption. Nyanza and Nairobi are next in that order, with 18 and 12 per cent.

In the cosmopolitan region of Nairobi, residents distaste arrogance and will be punishing MPs who exhibit this characteristic. Of the respondents polled, 19 per cent in Nairobi single out arrogance as the reason they will kick out their legislators. This is the highest recorded percentage over arrogance as a reason for rejection of an MP.

Indeed this demand is not misplaced considering that over the years, Nairobi has emerged as home to some of the most arrogant and forceful political clowns. Before the streetwise Ferdinand Waititu (Embakasi) and Gideon ‘Sonko’ Mbuvi (Makadara) came onto the scene, there was Reuben Ndolo of the infamous ‘Ukiwaona Wao’ threat, the late combative David Mwenje and Regional Development minister Fred Gumo, leader of Jeshi La Mzee terror gang during the Kanu regime.

Equally, seven and five per cent of the respondents in North Eastern and Nyanza say they would not be re-electing their MPs on account of their perceived arrogance. However in Coast and Western provinces, arrogance appears to be a non-issue.

But perhaps the most indicting factor on the part of the MPs is the deduction in the study that only 34 per cent of Kenyans have had some contact with their local elected MP since the last General Election.

Survey results also reveal that more urbanites (64 per cent) as compared to their rural counterparts (58 per cent) do not intend to re-elect their current MPs.